Revolution of the 44

Carlos Ezeta became president of the country in 1891 after a treason. He had been under the orders of the general Francisco Menéndez Valdivieso from the presidential administration of 1887. Taking advantage of a celebration from a past military victory, on 22 June 1890, the loyal troops of Ezeta by surprise took the residence of the president where the celebrations were followed. There they proclaimed to the public that they had usurped power, during which Francisco Menéndez suffered a heart attack.

Carlos Ezeta

Ezeta became president officially on March 1 of 1891. With his brother, Antonio, he directed a government from the quarter of the Second Brigade of Infantry. In the year 1894, the rejection to his government increased and numerous conspirators who were known to desire to uproot the government were persecuted. While many fled to Guatemala, on April 29 of that year, 44 rebels led by Doroteo Caballero came across the border from that country to Santa Ana. There they took the quarter and they demanded the surrender of the troops. The government was reorganized to put down the rebellion. Antonio Ezeta retreated to Coatepeque, where he requested reinforcements to be sent into Santa Ana. Although there was disagreement and disorganization over the control of the city, many guards were known to be sympathetic to the attacks. However, in spite of a new siege of the official troops and bloody attacks, the rebel forces managed to stay firm until May without Ezeta's men defeating them. However on May 16, official troops eventually overcame the rebels, largely helped by General Escobar who restored order to the situation.

General Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez, who would become President following the Revolution.

General Tomás Regalado became President of El Salvador following Gutiérrez.

On day 21, the event debilitated the governors elsewhere. The Ezeta brothers travelled to Chalatenango. New victories in the Malakoff hill and “Las Marias” on day 24 saw a rebel counter-attack. Antonio Ezeta later left for Coatepeque, and the rebels moved into Opico, near the capital, under the orders of the generals Tomás Regalado and Salvador Avila and the colonel Emilio Calderón. As this new force proved too powerful, the Ezeta brothers were forced to flee the country in exile by water. Provisional president Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez (assumed power 10 June 1894) entered the capital on 29 July 1894.

Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez would be President of El Salvador from 1894 to 1898. General Tomás Regalado, who was instrumental in the downfall of Ezeta's regime, overthrew Gutiérrez in 1898 and became President of El Salvador. He would be President from 1898 to 1903.

The following men were the 44 leaders of the revolution:

1. Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez
2. Tomás Regalado
3. Gral. Francisco Hurtado Menéndez
4. Prudencio Alfaro
5. Mariano Morán
6. Joaquín Pérez
7. Lizandro Arévalo
8. Abelardo Bracamonte
9. Juan Castro
10. Aquilino Duarte
11. Luis Gómez
12. Macedonio Marroquín
13. Francisco Gómez
14. Vicente Retana
15. Ramón Flores
16. Luis Pineda
17. Rosendo Guevara
18. Marcelino Monterrosa
19. Juan Escobar
20. Luciano Monterrosa
21. Tranquilino Sánchez
22. José Miguel Alfaro
23. Agustín Linares
24. Luis Mathies
25. Juan Ortiz
26. Adolfo Alvarenga
27. Heriberto Alvarenga
28. Máximo González
29. Faustino Acevedo
30. Nicolás Alvarenga
31. Eduardo Morales
32. Alfonso García
33. Isabel Carranza Monterrosa
34. Santiago Calidonio
35. Alejandro Cabrera
36. Reyes Rivera
37. Mariano Ramos
38. Domingo Campos
39. Manuel Quintanilla
40. Carmen González
41. Dolores Cámbara
42. Bernarda Calderón
43. Pedro Salguero
44. Rodolfo Morales Duran

Vidal, Manuel (1961). Nociones de historia de Centro América. San Salvador: Editorial Universitaria.